The invention generally relates to client-based multicast message transmission and, more particularly, to a short message service (SMS) client and a method for client-based multicast message transmission and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications. For example, the invention may be implemented in clients for enhanced message service (EMS), multimedia message service (MMS), and other types of similar message services.
SMS is the transmission of short text messages to and from a telephone number and/or an Internet protocol (IP) address. Messages are usually limited to no longer than 160 alpha-numeric characters and contain no images or graphics. EMS is an extension of SMS that permits messages with special text formatting (i.e., bold or italic), animations, pictures, icons, sound effects, and special ring tones. MMS is an additional messaging service that reflects another step in the evolution of SMS. Under MMS, users may combine graphics, video clips, sound files, and short text messages in a multimedia message that is displayed in a predetermined sequence.
Current telecommunication networks provide point-to-point SMS. Typically, SMS is used to transmit messages to and from mobile stations (MSs) via wireless networks, including personal communication system (PCS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and paging networks. However, other types of devices capable of transmitting or receiving short messages via other types of networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), private telephone networks, the Internet, and private intranets and internets, have also been developed.
For point-to-point message transmissions, only one recipient is permitted for each message. Therefore, if someone wants to send the same message to multiple recipients, that person must re-create the same message for each additional recipient and send it multiple times using the point-to-point method.
Some service providers offer proprietary server-based point-to-many (i.e., multicast) SMS solutions that piggy-back on the point-to-point SMS technology. In other words, these solutions allow a subscriber to setup a “group” that identifies multiple recipients for subsequent messages. The “group” is the destination point with respect to the point-to-point SMS and the service provider takes care of distributing the message to the multiple recipients.
For server-based multicast message transmissions, the group must be defined in advance, for example, in a subscriber's home location register (HLR). These pre-defined groups are static at the time the message is created and ready to send. This is extremely inconvenient, especially when the group is dynamically changing. For example, if the subscriber wants to send the message to another recipient not currently defined in the group, the subscriber must re-create the message and send it again. Another problem arises if the subscriber does not want the message to go to one of the recipients included in the group. Here, the subscriber must either modify the group before sending the message or re-create the message for each desired recipient and simply use the point-to-point method. Moreover, proprietary server-based point-to-many SMS solutions may not be compatible with networks managed by other providers. Hence, delivery of multicast messages to networks that are not compatible is not possible.
As can be appreciated from the foregoing, there is motivation for a device and corresponding method that provides client-based multicast message transmission.